Is It O.K. to Be a Mediocre Employee?

I have gained tremendous insight reading the comments on this blog. One in particular really struck me recently. It came in response to a post that I had written quite a while ago, “The Dirty Little Secret of Successful Companies,” and it illustrates the huge difference in perspective that can exist between the owners of companies and their employees. Here is the comment:

There is nothing wrong with being an average (mediocre) employee. Not everyone aspires to be in management. If the person meets the requirements of their current job, and they like the job and want to stay in the job, so be it. Stop trying to force people to get to the next level. The reality is that work is not the most important thing in everyone’s lives. People have more important things in their life than work. Work is simply a means to get the money we need to pay the mortgage and our other bills. Work is a low-priority event for most people. I’m only willing to do the bare minimum that it takes to get a paycheck every two weeks. As long as I am meeting the requirements of my job, than that is good enough. Don’t expect any more of me because I will not be a slave to any company. — Jo-Ann Youngblood, Tulsa, OK

I get it, Ms. Youngblood. And I agree with much of what you say, including this: Stop trying to force people to the next level. I could not agree more, and I have never said otherwise. We would have a big problem if everyone wanted to move into management. And I am sure that many people feel the same way you do about work being a means to an end. As you say, if you are meeting the requirements of the job, you have every right to embrace your mediocrity. The difference between you and most people, I believe, is that you know you are a mediocre employee. In fact, you defend it. Good for you. An honest, self-aware person. And I certainly agree that no one needs to be a “slave” to a company.

But I have rights, too — and not just my right to an opinion. As the owner of a business, I have the right to avoid hiring someone who only wants to do the bare minimum to get a paycheck. In fact, if I hire too many people with that attitude, I will be out of business. This is Capitalism 101, survival of the fittest. I operate in a very competitive market. I don’t have any patents, any special marketing magic, or any secret recipes. My companies can only exist and grow if they do a much-better-than-average job.

One of the ways I try to ensure that is by hiring and keeping dedicated, professional people who want to do a good or even great job. While I have no doubt that some of my 115 employees consider their jobs, as you put it, simply a means to get the money they need, they still manage to do an above-average job at work. I think a lot of people want to do a better-than-mediocre job. I think it makes them feel good. And while no one here is forced to get to the next level, some are eager to have that opportunity — the opportunity to make more money and to enjoy the feeling of accomplishment that goes with progressing in a career. That is their right.

This works for me and, I believe, for my employees, who average nine years in tenure. Apparently your view works for you, or at least it has so far. But there is another dirty little secret of successful companies, or even mediocre ones. When business slows down and they have to lay off people, many of them turn first to the people who do the bare minimum. Or sometimes, especially if everyone is doing the bare minimum, the whole company essentially gets laid off — by its competition.

For most people, having a job for life is no longer an option. And for many of those who have been unfortunate enough to lose their businesses or their jobs during the recent years of economic turmoil, I suspect work is now, if it wasn’t always, a high-priority event. And when it comes to securing a new job, the people who do more than the minimum will have an advantage.

But don’t worry, I will take your advice and not expect any more of you. If you are happy, I am happy. While I appreciate your honesty and perspective, I will hope to avoid people who share your attitude, both as an employer and as a customer.

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You're the Boss offers an insider's perspective on small-business ownership. It gives business owners a place where they can compare notes, ask questions, get advice, and learn from one another's mistakes. The blog also offers analysis of policy issues, and suggests investing tips.